Saturday 6 February 2010

2010 Starts - Part 1

The Weavers Group held their first meeting for 2010 last Saturday, and decided that 2010 would be The Year of the Garment, the challenge being for everyone to produce a handwoven garment [other than wraps and scarves, which have rather held sway in recent years].

The meeting was held at Rose's home, and in the spirit of the challenge, she produced a number of bolts of handwoven fabric which have been languishing under the spare bed for some years awaiting transformation into garments .

Rose also had one of her looms warped for bead leno, a fascinating technique with many possibilities and, Rose assures us, not as tricky to set up as it looks and fast to weave.

by Chris Beech

4 comments:

Dianne said...

Can I join your Year of the Garment challenge. I'm going to do it some time.
And I've been going through back issues of Handwoven reading about Bead Leno. What is your best reference Rose?

Rose said...

Hello Dianne - the more the merrier as far as I am concerned!
If your Handwovens go back to Nov/Dec 1989 you will find an article on bead leno bags. This is the only reference I have among my notes - but my notes are rather rambling. I will put a copy in my bag for you in March. I did bead leno for a Cross Country sample in 1999 so if you ask Agnes nicely she might be able to find the folder it is in for you.
HOWEVER, I may have to revise that "quick to weave" quote. It certainly has few picks per inch so should be quick from that point of view but this current warp is taking a lot of concentration to ensure I have a clear shed. I need to use a stick to separate it properly.
See you soon.

Dianne said...

Thanks Rose, I don't have the '89 Handwoven. I shall pack the more recent ones. Some references say "doup leno" gives a better shed but thought I'd start simple with the beads. No loom free at present to experiment, just studying.

Meg said...

Virtual member, Dianne???